December 29, 2017

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Christine Gotaas!

180 years ago
1837

War
In the Upper Canada Rebellion, Royal Navy Commander Andrew Drew and seven boatloads of Canadian militiamen crossed the Niagara River to Fort Schlosser, New York at night, and captured the American supply steamer Caroline being used by William Lyon Mackenzie and his rebels on Navy Island. The militia set the ship ablaze, cut her adrift and send her toward Niagara Falls; one American is killed in the incident.

100 years ago
1917

Born on this date
Tom Bradley. U.S. politician. Mr. Bradley, a Democrat, was Mayor of Los Angeles from 1973-1993; he was the first Negro to hold the position, and the longest-serving mayor in the city's history. Mr. Bradley was a police officer in Los Angeles from 1940-1961, and a lawyer after that before entering politics. He was the Democratic Party candidate for Governor of California in 1982 and 1986, but lost both times. Mr. Bradley died on September 29, 1998 at the age of 80.

90 years ago
1927

Aviation
French aviators Dieudonne Costes and Joseph Lebrix, in their Breguet biplane Nungesser-Coli, departed La Paz, Bolivia, for Lima, Peru. They had left Paris on October 10 and had gone to Senegal, before crossing the South Atlantic Ocean, landing in Brazil, and visiting other South American cities.

80 years ago
1937

Died on this date
Don Marquis, 59. U.S. writer. Mr. Marquis, an editor and columnist with several newspapers, created the fictional characters "archy and mehitabel."

Politics and government
The Constitution of Ireland went into effect, replacing the Constitution of the Irish Free State that had been in effect since 1922.

75 years ago
1942

Movies
The New York Film Critics Circle announced its awards for 1942: Picture--In Which We Serve; Director--John Farrow (Wake Island); Actor--James Cagney (Yankee Doodle Dandy); Actress--Agnes Moorehead (The Magnificent Ambersons).

War
French Somaliland joined the Free French and the United Nations under an agreement signed in Nairobi. Russian troops recpatued Kotelnikovo, 90 miles southwest of Stalingrad, and occupied Torgovaya, 57 miles southeast of Kotelnikovo.

Crime
The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation accounted for all seven members of the Touhy gang who had escaped from Stateville Prison near Joliet, Illinois on October 9,1942.

Weather
A two-day ice storm struck southern Quebec, with as much as an inch of freezing rain, and winds reaching almost 40 miles per hour, causing several power outages and significant delays in transportation.

70 years ago
1947

At the movies
The Paradine Case, directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring Gregory Peck, Alida Valli, Charles Laughton, Ann Todd, and Ethel Barrymore, opened at two theatres in Los Angeles.





Movies
The New York Film Critics Circle announced its awards for 1947: Picture--Gentleman's Agreement; Director--Elia Kazan (Gentleman's Agreement); Actor--William Powell (Life with Father; The Senator was Indiscreet); Actress--Deborah Kerr (Black Narcissus; I See a Dark Stranger); Foreign Language Film: To Live in Peace.

War
Communist forces captured the rail centre of Yungcheng in north-central China.

Terrorism
A bomb planted by Irgun Zvai Leumi at the Damascus Gate in Jerusalem killed 11 Arabs and 2 British soldiers.

Diplomacy
Relations between the United States and Bulgaria were officially restored as U.S. President Harry Truman received Bulgarian Minister Nissim Mevorah.

New York Mayor William O'Dwyer gave a formal reception in City Hall for Tel Aviv Mayor Israel Rokach.

Politics and government
Byron "Boss" Johnson took office as Premier of British Columbia, heading a Liberal-Conservative coalition government. Mr. Johnson, a Liberal, succeeded John Hart, who had resigned, as Liberal Party leader and Premier.

In a speech in Chicago before a rally of Progressive Citizens of America, former U.S. Vice President Henry Wallace announced his intention to run for President in 1948 as a third party candidate, charging that the major parties "stand for a policy which opens the door to war in our lifetime."

French Interior Minister Jules Moch cut off the Communist Party's gasoline ration.

Americana
The National Institute of Arts and Letters in New York formally inducted 11 new members, including composer Virgil Thomson and British poet W.H. Auden.

Economics and finance
The U.S. Agriculture Department released further names of grain traders and speculators, including Utah Governor Herbert Maw and President Truman's personal physician, General Wallace Graham.

60 years ago
1957

On television tonight
Alfred Hitchcock Presents, on CBS
Tonight's episode: Night of the Execution, starring Pat Hingle, Georgann Johnson, and Russell Collins

Died on this date
Ezio Selva, 56. Italian speedboat racing driver. Mr. Selva was killed when his boat Moschettiere overturned during the Orange Bowl Regatta Grand Prix in Biscayne Bay near Miami Beach, Florida; he was in his fourth year of competition in the event and had yet to win, stating beforehand that this would be his last race.

Married on this date
Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme. The U.S. singers were married in Las Vegas.

Diplomacy
The government of East Germany announced that all Western diplomats entering its territory would need East German rather than Soviet visas.

Politics and government
The Chinese Communist Party suspended its drive against rightists, claiming that they were now in "complete isolation."

Disasters
U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower dispatched the aircraft carrier USS Princeton, the destroyers USS Henderson and USS Sutherland, and the seaplane tender USS Duxbury Bay to aid 325,000 people left homeless following floods in Ceylon.

Football
NFL
Championship
Cleveland 14 @ Detroit 59

The Lions routed the Browns before 55,263 fans at Briggs Stadium to win their third National Football League championship in six years. Tobin Rote, who had split the quarterbacking duties with Bobby Layne before Mr. Layne broke his leg late in the season, completed 12 of 19 passes for 280 yards and 4 touchdowns, and rushed 7 times for 27 yards. Steve Junker caught 5 passes for 109 yards and 2 touchdowns for the Lions. The game was virtually over by halftime, with the Lions having built up a 31-7 lead. The Browns scored early in the third quarter, but Mr. Rote answered with a 78-yard scoring strike to Jim Doran to put the game away. Rookie (and league rushing champion) Jim Brown carried 20 times for 69 yards and ran 29 yards for the Browns' first score in the second quarter. George Wilson was in his first year as head coach of the Lions, having taken over when Buddy Parker suddenly quit two days before the first pre-season game, complaining that the 1957 Lions were the worst team he'd ever seen in training. To get to the championship game, the Lions had to get past the San Francisco 49ers in a playoff for the Western Conference title. Y.A. Tittle passed the 49ers to a 27-7 halftime lead, but the Lions came back for a 31-27 win. The 1957 championship remains the Lions' most recent title, and Messrs. Layne and Rote are now dead.





50 years ago
1967

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand: Snoopy's Christmas--The Royal Guardsmen (2nd week at #1)

Edmonton's Top 10 (CJCA)
1 Hello Goodbye--The Beatles
2 Daydream Believer--The Monkees
3 Next Plane to London--The Rose Garden
4 Bottle of Wine--The Fireballs
5 (The Lights Went Out In) Massachusetts--The Bee Gees
6 (Alone) In My Room--Willie and the Walkers
7 Judy in Disguise (With Glasses)--John Fred and his Playboy Band
8 Neon Rainbow--The Box Tops
9 Jezebel--The Witness Inc.
10 Different Drum--Stone Poneys
Pick hit of the Week: Some Velvet Morning--Nancy Sinatra & Lee Hazlewood
New this week: Zabadak!--Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich
She Says--49th Parallel
My Baby Must Be a Magician--The Marvelettes
Deep in the Night--The Candymen
Cherie--James Darren

Died on this date
Paul Whiteman, 77. U.S. bandleader. Mr. Whiteman was known as the "King of Jazz" (he starred in a 1930 movie by that title), with his peak occurring from about 1920-1933. His orchestra included such names as Jimmy and Tommy Dorsey, Bix Beiderbecke, Bing Crosby, and Ferde Grofe. Mr. Whiteman died of a heart attack.

Canadiana
The Ottawa Civic Centre, an arena and exhibition hall adjacent to Lansdowne Park, was officially opened.

Law
The Canadian Parliament abolished capital punishment for murder, except for the murders of police officers and prison guards, for a trial period of five years.

Disasters
Nine children died in a house fire in Mont Laurier, Quebec.

Nine people died and 30,000 were reported homeless in a flood in Brazil.

40 years ago
1977

On television tonight
James at 15, starring Lance Kerwin, on NBC
Tonight's episode: Mrs. Carson

Class of '65, starring Tony Bill, on NBC
Tonight's episode: The Girl Nobody Knew

Diplomacy
U.S. President Jimmy Carter, in Poland on the first day of his nine-day, seven-nation world tour, experienced an embarrassing incident when a State Department interpreter mistranslated his remarks into Polish so that Mr. Carter seemed to have "abandoned" (left) Washington, and spoke of the "lusts" (desires) of the Polish people.

25 years ago
1992

Law
The Supreme Court of British Columbia denied doctor-assisted suicide to terminally ill patient Sue Rodriguez.

Politics and government
Brazilian President Fernando Collor de Mello tried to resign amidst corruption charges, but was then impeached, anyway.

Environment
Canadian Fisheries Minister John Crosbie announced a ban on the export of beluga whales, after a pair died in a Chicago aquarium.

20 years ago
1997

Health
Hong Kong began to kill all the nation's 1.25 million chickens to stop the spread of a potentially deadly influenza strain.

Business
Kmart, having trouble competing with WalMart, announced the closure of 10 stores across Canada.

Sport
Auto racing driver Jacques Villeneuve, Formula One world driving champion, was named the winner of the Lou Marsh Trophy as Canada's most outstanding athlete of 1997.

10 years ago
2007

Football
NFL
The New England Patriots became the first National Football League team in 35 years to finish the regular season undefeated when they beat the New York Giants 38-35 to go 16-0. The 1972 Miami Dolphins posted a 14-0 record.